Bus stops to be given £212,000 upgrades

BUS stops across Wigan town centre are set for a £212,000 upgrade to help encourage more people to travel by bus as well as speeding up journey times and cut congestion.

Wigan Council, in conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester (tfgm) are undertaking the work as part of the region wide Better Bus Area Fund awarded funding to Greater Manchester through the Government.

Work on the £212,000 scheme will start on Monday (June 3) after Transport for Greater Manchester successfully bid for funding from the government’s Better Bus Area Fund.

Wigan Council is making a local £22,000 contribution to the project, which will see eleven bus stops in Wigan town centre given a complete overhaul.

Nine stops are being upgraded – and two will be combined into one stop – to give an improved passenger experience and allow buses to arrive and depart more efficiently.

The three stops at Wigan North Western train station will be replaced by a single large sheltered stop, encouraging more people to use bus and train for their journey.

Improvements include new shelters, poles and paving, with seating and information displays.

Councillor Mark Aldred, Chair of the Bus Network and TfGM Services Committee, said: “Our research and experience shows that improved stops and shelters like these encourage more people to travel by bus, which is good news for the environment and for town centre growth.

“We also expect to see a positive impact on bus services, with less time spent stationed at stops resulting in reduced journey times and improved reliability for passengers.

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